29
'Once I did amisse,
I tell you certainlye,
When I kist Craddockes mouth
vnder a greene tree,
When I kist Craddockes mouth
before he marryed mee.'
30
When shee had her shreeuen,
and her sines shee had tolde,
The mantle stoode about her
right as shee wold;
31
Seemelye of coulour,
glittering like gold;
Then euery knight in Arthurs court
did her behold.
32
Then spake dame Gueneuer
to Arthur our king:
'She hath tane yonder mantle,
not with wright but with wronge!
33
'See you not yonder woman
that maketh her selfe soe clene?
I haue seene tane out of her bedd
of men fiueteene;
34
'Preists, clarkes, and wedded men,
from her by-deene;
Yett shee taketh the mantle,
and maketh her-selfe cleane!'
35
Then spake the litle boy
that kept the mantle in hold;
Sayes 'King, chasten thy wiffe;
of her words shee is to bold.
36
'Shee is a bitch and a witch,
and a whore bold;
King, in thine owne hall
thou art a cuchold.'
37
The litle boy stoode
looking ouer a dore;
He was ware of a wyld bore,
wold haue werryed a man.
38
He pulld forth a wood kniffe,
fast thither that he ran;
He brought in the bores head,
and quitted him like a man.